Podcast Booking Service

When businesses look to launch a podcast, hiring a podcast booking service is rarely at the top of the priority list.

Instead, the needs can seem much more immediate: pitching the show to internal stakeholders, hiring a production company, creating a budget, getting the right equipment, finding a host, determining launch dates – and don’t forget figuring out what the actual show is even about!

With so many other needs from both a production and budgetary standpoint, the importance of podcast guest booking is often overlooked, as companies prioritize their existing network to fill their guest roster. While this DIY approach may save money in the short-term, it can cost your podcast greatly in the long-term – and with it, your company’s bottom line.

Read more to find out how a guest booking agency can benefit your podcast, and how a podcast agency like Caspian Studios can help.

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Understanding Podcast Booking Services

When most people think of a podcast booking service, they think simply about the process of scheduling and booking guests for their shows – or to appear on other shows.

But a great podcast booking agency is the equivalent of an audio matchmaker. Just as a matchmaker takes the time to get to know your tastes and preferences in a romantic partner, a great podcast booking agency does the same for your business. They work hand-in-hand to understand your brand, the podcast, and your business objectives by:

• Providing expertise in the podcast space. Spotify hosts over five million podcasts on its platform. That’s a lot of wheat to separate from the chaff, and your ideal partner will have access to analytics through services such as Chartable that provide data on the best-performing shows out there – even down to qhixh guests can draw potential listeners.
• Identifying potential customers. Inviting a representative of a potential customer onto your podcast is a proven method for building pipeline. A podcast booking service can work with you to book potential customers that may not exist in your own network. Of course, this works for booking you onto a podcast as well; a great podcast booking agency can help get you in the virtual door on a potential client’s podcast as well.
• Helping you book higher-profile guests. Podcasts are a space to create thought leadership opportunities for your host and your business. Booking high-profile guests who exist outside your customer personas, such as a best-selling author, can bring attention to your show, while also positioning your thought leadership brand. Often, higher-profile guests are booked through their PR agencies or other representation, and a great podcast booking agency should have existing relationships with many of these teams. 
• Creating a media kit. A dynamic media kit can position you in a unique manner and help you stand out from your competition. While your business may have the ability to create a basic media kit in-house, outsourcing this responsibility to an experienced podcast booking agency will result in a better media kit that best sells the power of your own show, as well as your own appeal as a guest on other podcasts.

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The Importance of Choosing the Right Podcast Booking Agency

Though podcasts are a relatively new medium, their presence has created a new dynamic in B2B marketing. Recent research shows that 51 percent of those in executive leadership roles listen to podcasts daily, and an additional 24 percent listen to podcasts multiple times a week. These statistics sharply illustrate the importance of hiring the right podcast booking agency.

When hiring a podcast booking service, consider the following:

• Fees and services. Do the packages the podcast booking service provides fit your budget? Additionally, some podcast booking agencies might also offer slightly different services. One agency may specialize in guest placements, while others offer guest booking for your podcast, along with placement on other podcasts.
• Expertise in your industry. Many podcast booking industries specialize in certain fields. As an example, Caspian Studios specializes in B2B technology brands. Your ideal partner should have experience in your company’s field and may have worked with similar clients in the past.
• Prior bookings. Audit the shows your potential agency has worked with and ask yourself a few questions. What is the caliber of the guests they have booked or placed? Are they leaders in your field or people who can push conversations forward in ways that would be interesting for your audience? Would they be able to book your “dream guest”? Do they typically work with the same guests, or is their outreach expansive?
• Prior successes. Ultimately, B2B podcasts are a marketing tool. They create brand awareness, strengthen your relationships with existing clients, establish relationships with prospects, and build pipeline. Ask any potential partner about how clients used their services to help them meet their revenue goals.
• Opportunities for coaching. If you are looking to get booked onto other podcasts, it is always helpful to receive coaching and media training to maximize your appearances. Some podcast booking agencies, such as Caspian Studios, may offer this service, and it should be something your company carefully considers as a differentiator in its decision-making process.

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Strategies for Getting Booked on Influential Podcasts

When it comes to getting booked onto influential podcasts, it’s an excellent strategy to work with a podcast booking agency. They will have the access, relationships, and expertise to get you into the conversation for booking.

A podcast booking service might be your podcast matchmaker, but they aren’t Cupid. Your media kit is not the magical bow and arrow that can ensure you will be booked onto the podcast of your dreams. A podcast booking agency can pitch you as a compelling guest, but it’s ultimately your responsibility to ensure that you are every bit as compelling as you say you are.

Begin by working with your marketing and/or thought leadership team to think about how to best position yourself. If you have been consistently posting thought leadership content, audit your activities. Ensure that your posts are optimized for the algorithms of the social media platforms that you are using and that your ideal audience is engaging with your posts.

Secondly, check your own engagement. Platforms such as LinkedIn do not just reward posts themselves; their algorithm also prioritizes engagement within the comments section. Make sure that your posts are not simply self-congratulatory; look to see if you are creating meaningful, thought-provoking conversations in the comments – and most importantly, that you are participating in these conversations. Give your audience the opportunity to speak with you…and even to debate you! What is most important is not simply that you have content, but that you are willing to have a conversation to begin with. After all, isn’t that what a podcast is?

Third, create your own opportunities. If you attend a conference, make sure that you are networking with others in your field. Find the time to speak on panels and roundtables and create relationships. Use these opportunities to demonstrate your value – both as a guest and as a representative of your business. 

Of course, there is another way to create your own opportunity: by hosting your own podcast. Demonstrating that you are a thought leader with reach will encourage others to consider you, and a podcast booking service will have even more leverage when reaching out for podcast guest booking.

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Making the Most of Your Podcast Guest Booking Opportunities 

Congratulations! Your podcast booking service has just booked you for a series of podcast interviews with podcasts whose listeners are all your ideal new clients. It may feel as if the hard work is done. However, it is just beginning. It is now on you to be the most amazing podcast guest you can possibly be. It may seem daunting – particularly if you are booked onto a podcast with a large listenership – but there are multiple steps you can take to ensure that your appearance is everything it can be:

• Create your ideal recording setup. In a world with five million podcasts, there is plenty of competition for your ears. If your audio quality is not up to standard, it doesn’t matter how compelling your ideas are – your future clients will simply skip to the next episode. If you haven’t already, invest in a high-quality external microphone and a set of headphones. At Caspian, we’re big fans of the Shure MV7 USB Podcast Microphone. Your headphone choice is important, but thankfully, a set of wired earbuds like these can do the trick. If you’re appearing on a video podcast, you’ll also want to ensure that you have lighting and a great background! Bradley Glanzrock, Caspian Studios Head of Content Operations, has provided an excellent resource list to get you started.
• Participate in a pre-interview. As part of the guest booking process, the producer of the podcast will reach out to you to schedule and conduct a pre-interview. Some shows may say these meetings are optional, or they may even ask to speak to a member of your PR team or a representative from the podcast booking agency. However, it is something you should participate in! This meeting with a producer will give you the opportunity to craft your appearance in a manner that goes beyond providing talking points. It will also give you the chance to ask questions about the show’s audience, so you can make sure the conversation you have resonates with them.
• Turn your successes into stories. There is a good chance that you’ve done some amazing things with your business. But it’s not enough to simply say, “A client began using our product, and their revenue increased two hundred percent.” The human brain is literally wired to hear stories, and creating narratives around how you solved a problem for a client will make these moments memorable for podcast listeners – and make your business memorable as well.

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Leveraging Podcast Appearances to Speak to Your Audience

Appearing on a podcast is only the beginning of your podcast appearance.

Yes, you read that correctly. Even though your podcast booking service has fulfilled their end of the bargain, you and your team was 

Once your guest appearance is done, you will also need to prepare for the release of your podcast episode – so that you can leverage it for your audience:

• Promote your podcast appearance on your channels. After confirming your release date, plan to promote your podcast in your email newsletter, your social media feeds, and anywhere else it may be appropriate.
• Work with the podcast’s team to get social media assets. Many podcasts will create images and videos, such as audiograms, to provide to their guests. They may also allow you to create your own assets from the show that you can use to promote your appearance. These are valuable resources that can help publicize your podcast appearance and also reach prospects who do not listen to the show.
• Repurpose your content for other channels. A podcast appearance is more than a conversation; it’s a resource for your content marketing. Your conversation may have actionable insights for a blog post or even an ebook!
• Share your conversation with appropriate prospects. Using ABM principles, work with your marketing team to create a campaign that can target specific personas that the conversation may be appropriate for.

And yes, if you’re wondering – many of these principles also apply to hosting your own podcast! Beyond your own marketing needs, be sure to provide your own guests with everything you would want from an appearance on another show.

Mastering Podcast Interviews: Skills and Preparation Tips

Your podcast booking service has set you up with some amazing interviews on exciting shows in your field. Now, it’s time to get ready to rock the mic with your thought leadership, anecdotes, and smooth baritone.

But what makes a great podcast interview? For Claudia Lombana, Emmy-winning reporter and interviewer, the answer is very simple: “You want it to be an organic, natural ‘we're-having-a-coffee-together-conversation,’” she says. 

So how can you create that environment when recording a podcast? We asked Ian for a few tips on how you can make sure you can be the best guest you can possibly be:

• Figure out your recording location ahead of time. Most podcasts record remotely, which means it’s the guest’s responsibility to find a suitable interview location. Find a quiet location with little outside noise. Make sure there is not too much of an echo in your environment either. And if you’re recording a podcast with a video component, be sure to make sure you are well-lit – and that your background is on point!
• Treat your pre-interview like the interview. By its very nature, your pre-interview meeting will be much more informal than your actual podcast interview. But Claudia recommends that you treat the pre-interview with the same respect you will give the interview. Use the pre-interview to make sure your recording location works for the podcast, and use this time to test your microphone and headphones. Put your phone on silent or place it in the other room. And don’t be afraid to ask any questions! 
• Request topics ahead of time, not questions. After your pre-interview, you will receive a document from the show’s producers covering what will be discussed during the interview. While you may have a temptation to request the actual questions ahead of time, Claudia cautions strongly against this; she prefers that guests only receive topics in advance. “What happens is guests tend to get in their own heads about those questions,” Claudia says. “Some of them will even write our answers, and you don’t want a scripted conversation.”
• Tell stories that teach. As you think about the conversation you will have during your interview, you will likely want to feature success stories for your business. But as you think about how you will tell these stories, Claudia recommends telling these stories in a way your audience can learn from. “You want guests to be able to tell stories that are going to teach and educate your audience – that they're going to be able to take away something from that story,” explains Claudia. 
• Arrive a few minutes early for your interview. This will give you the opportunity to test your microphone and headphones and ensure everything is working correctly.
• Remember, podcasts are not recorded live. “We have the luxury of editing,” says Claudia, and she wants every guest to know they should embrace that luxury like it’s their own personal Rolls Royce. If you don’t like how you’ve answered a question, rephrase it. If you’ve stumbled at the start of a sentence, don’t worry about it. Just start it over. The editors will take care of the rest!
• Embrace coaching. Your podcast booking agency may offer coaching and media training services, and these interviews are the perfect opportunity to look to see how you can improve. And even if you don’t have access to these services, Claudia believes they’re imperative for any executive. She recommends working with the raw recording of the interview, not the final product. Watch for your body language and make sure your sound and video quality are where you want them to be. See if there are questions you could have answered more succinctly, or how your storytelling can improve. 

Do you host your own podcast? Claudia has more insights for you in our blog!

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The Synergy Between Podcast Marketing and Booking Strategies

For a marketing team, podcast interviews can be a gold mine – it’s a means of creating content that is both repurposable and evergreen. Working hand-in-hand with the right podcast booking service, the two can create a partnership that can position a podcast host as a thought leader in their space – which can create both short-term and long-term revenue for brands.

Creating this synergy begins with your content calendar. As you look at your plans, think about how to utilize both your podcast and the opportunities you have for podcast interviews on other shows that can speak to your audience. Working with a podcast booking agency, you can find opportunities to speak on podcasts that you may not have a direct relationship with, and the imprimatur of your podcast booking service can also help you break down some of the barriers that may come with booking. You may also choose to work with a podcast marketing agency that can design a campaign that can promote specific appearances on your shows.

The relationships your podcast booking service has can also help you book guests whose very presence can elevate your thought leadership. As an example, Caspian Studios produces the Data Radicals podcast, sponsored by Alation, the leading data governance company. The show does not just feature interviews with subject matter experts, but also features interviews with journalists and best-selling authors such as David Epstein, Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, and Amir Efrati.

“Caspian has helped to launch and grow our company and CEO as a thought leader in not just our industry, but in the global technology community. “We’re now a thought leader in the global tech community, thanks to Caspian.” – Talo Thomson, Head of Content & Customer Marketing, Alation 

You may also want to consider working with a podcast advertising agency or a podcast marketing agency to expand the reach of your show. Working with a podcast agency like Caspian Studios can for your podcast booking streamlines the production process. Not every company offers the full suite of services Caspian does – from show ideation to podcast booking to growth and marketing. Caspian’s full horizontal integration of services gives our team the ability to support your marketing team without the numerous communication silos that can exist when working with multiple partners.

Impactful Stories from Podcast Bookings

Our clients at Caspian Studios have seen incredible ROI from working with us. Our podcast booking service gives our clients the chance to meet new prospects, solidify in-pipeline deals, and brings new opportunities into their funnel. But don’t take our word for it. Hear directly from two of our customers.

In this video, Qualified CMO Maura Rivera discusses how their podcast Demand Gen Visionaries is a top-performing initiative across multiple departments – and how podcast booking is a major asset for her sales team:

It wasn’t enough for VMWare’s CIO Exchange podcast to named a Webby Award honoree. Yadin Porter de León, Global Executive Content Marketing Lead at VMWare, discusses how the podcast helped lay the groundwork for an eight-figure deal: